Sean Murphy is Named Ireland’s Young Filmmaker of the Year 2011

Wednesday 30th March, at a ceremony in Storm Cinemas, Castletroy, Limerick, as part of Fresh Film Festival the winner of Ireland's Young Filmmaker 2011 was announced. The award went to 18 year old Sean Murphy from Wexford for his film of Blackrock in Dublin for his film 4:27am. (full list of winners below).

4:27am is directed by Sean Murphy and described as Home alone, or so she thinks. This thriller will have you on the edge of your seat!

Still only 18 Sean would like to study filmmaking in Dun Laoghaire College after his leaving Cert this summer. Sean entered a film in Fresh Film Festival for the first time last year and won a Highly Commended Award for that film Run. He travelled to South Korea in July 2010 with Fresh Film Festival and three other young filmmakers to a Filmmaking Camp and Run was also screened in Berlin in May 2010.

Each year aspiring young filmmakers aged 18 and under battle it out to be named Ireland's Young Filmmaker of the Year at the Fresh Film Festival. Many of the winners of the competition have gone on to have successful careers in the film industry and each year the awards uncover a wealth of new filmmaking talent.

The festival has been running for 15 years and has gone from strength to strength. Each year the festival is host to the premier accolade in Ireland for filmmakers aged 18 and under and also offers a forum for young filmmakers, workshops, screening of features and other events. This year Fresh will host a Gaming Design workshop to highlight the similarities and the influences the Gaming and the Film Industry have and overlap with one another.

There are six judging panels: The senior Ireland's Young Filmmaker Awards panel (13 - 18 years), The Junior Ireland¹s Young Filmmaker Awards Panel (7 -12 years), The Brownbag Animation Award panel, The Radharc Documentary Award Panel, the International Young Filmmaker and RTÉ 60 second Shot Award.

The festival strives to ensure that it is engaging, relevant and challenging and has continued to develop links with other organisations and filmmakers from outside of Ireland. Fresh exists to provide a national and international platform and network for the budding film talent of Ireland. The festival itself provides the opportunity for hundreds of film enthusiasts, 18 years and under, to have their films seen on the big screen, and a series of prizes for the winners that are designed to promote and support further filmmaking ventures. Fresh Films ltd. strives to broaden the spectrum of opportunity, provide a support network, and encourage standards of excellence for Irish filmmakers from grass roots level, nourishing the quality of the Irish film industry as a cultural export.

www.freshfilmfestival.net

The recipients of the Ireland's Young Filmmaker Awards for 2011 are as follows:

Junior Award Winners

First place

Hal Warner- Clayton for his collection of films

Mouse

Hal Warner- Clayton 00:01:00 Kilkenny

A man finds a mouse in his house and tries to catch it in a variety of farfetched ways to no avail. Cat is brought in to catch mouse, and appears to succeed, end reveals that mouse survives.

The Messenger Bag Caper

Hal Warner- Clayton 00:02:14 Kilkenny Guy sitting on gate gets attacked by a thief who wants his messenger bag. A chase ensues, involving a stick fight. Thief gets the bag, but justice triumphs, when the thief falls and guy recovers bag.

Spring

Hal Warner- Clayton 00:02:14 Kilkenny Montage of stylized images from the filmmakers garden, taken in early spring

Second Place

Our Lady of Good Counsel BNS, Drimnagh

Fatman and Bobbin

5th Class Our Lady of Good Counsel BNS, Drimnagh 00:05:50

When two villains escape from detention it's up to the local caped crusaders to bring law and order back to Drimnagh BNS, or is it?

Third Place

YIFM

Upsidedown Town

Ethan Doran & YIFM 00:07:10 Kilkenny

This film tells a funny story of how two friends go on a normal day out, but it doesn't turn out to be very normal. In fact it's quite the opposite as everything in the town is upside down and backwards! This can prove very difficult when trying to order a bite to eat.

HC for Production

Go Sona Sasta

Cair Ui Raghallaigh & Children 00:05:20 Cork

Here comes the bride ...but how does the groom feel about that?

Special Mention

New Blood

Reel New Ross 00:02:36 Wexford Shocking events unfold when a new kid arrives in the small town of Ballymurn.

Senior Award Winners 2011
First Place

4:27am

Sean Murphy 00:06:08 Wexford 18

4:27am. Home alone, or so she thinks.

Second Place

Az Utaloso Livoskaja ­ The Last Princess

Sean Conroy 00:03:07 Dublin 16

The last princess follows the misfortunes of the last princess of Russia and marks the beginning of a great change in history.

Third Place

Have You Ever?

Dean Gilchrist & The Knockbeg Film Society 00:09:00 Carlow 14 - 17

Have You Ever? is a story about a boy named John. John has just started secondary school and is finding it hard to fit in. Repeated bullying doesn't help and John feels isolated and alone in his new surroundings. By chance he discovers something that could change everything but what will he do with the power he has unleashed?

Group Award

Unsavoury Suspects

Evan Walsh & The North West Film School 00:03:53 Cavan 13

Detectives McVitie and Jacobs race against the clock to reveal the unsweetened truth behind the brutal murder of a Jaffa Cake. A noir-style mystery, jam-packed with tasty treats.

HC for editing

Somnium

Arran Tenzin Bradstock 00:09:40 Cork 13

Something in the woods is watching..

HC for idea

Delusional Cruelty

Jack Doyle 00:02:30 Dublin 18

Shoot the dog, don¹t shoot the dog...the stronger one will decide

HC for collection & Script

Let Time go Lightly

Alan Doyle, Get a grip productions 00:08:30 Kilkenny 16

Alex gets stuck with her neighbor for the weekend, and the time just ticks on by...

HC for Production

The Elwood Killing; The beginning

Alfie Hollingsworth & Dylan Bickterton, 1 Cent Productions. 00:09:23 Clare 15

Michael and his dad are in for a fright when they are attacked by a hooded man! Michael's dad gets captured and Michael is left alone in the woods!

The YIFM and judges mention

Hunger

Miriam Ferguson 00:12:05 Wicklow 17

When people lose control, they'll do anything to keep their perfect body, their perfect soul.

Judges Recommendation for Brownbag

Ages Ago Ryan & Mark Buckley 00:14:00 Dublin

A scientist invents a time machine but he needs to find a willing guinea pig

Honorable mention

Gamer Boy Alex Floss Jones, TY 00:07:30 Mayo 15

'Gamer Boy' is the story of a boy whose online persona gets mixed up with real life, with some pretty cool results

International

The Ragdoll Girl

First Light & The Nerve Centre 00:04:49 UK

 

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